Things must be going downhill for Putin. Now even the "Pussy Riot", a Moscow feminist punk collective, campaigns against him through its dissident songs and unsanctioned performances.

Their last public unauthorized concert was in late January on Red Square. The "Pussy Riot" performed a new anti-Kremlin song called “Putin Got Scared” employing such devices as colored smoke bombs and a purple feminist flag. The group was arrested and held for five hours at a police station.

All of them were charged with holding an unauthorized rally, otherwise known as 'an anti-Putin offense'.

A banner with the words "Putin, leave" and an image of his face with a black cross over it appeared Wednesday on a billboard above a building adjacent to the Kremlin. It was removed by the security service within hours. With the Moscow outdoor temperature dipping to below minus 30 C, somebody out there must have a frostbite.

Today an estimated 100,000 Moscow residents braved bitter cold at two major downtown rallies highlighting a power play between political opponents and supporters of Vladimir Putin's race to resume power as Russia'sresident.

The demonstrators demanded fair presidential elections on March 4 calling on the Russians “not to give a single vote” to Putin.

“We are prepared for a long tough struggle,” declared the leading protest organizer and Putin's opponent Boris Nemtsov acknowledging that “One peaceful march will not change the country.”

Among a variety of political groups gathered for the rally were those displaying flags of the liberal Yabloko Party, of the unregistered Party of People's Freedom, of Zhuganov's red communists, as well as anarchists and Russian ultra-nationalists.

Some posters and banners proclaimed "Russia will be free!" and "We do care!" , others were blatantly anti-Putin "Not a single vote for Putin!" and "Putin, go away! Many protesters chanted "Russia without Putin!"

Pure manipulation...no one is free in Russia. People are not allowed to express dissatisfaction with their government, journalists are not allowed to report freely, and corruption is daily bread. This is a dictatorship not a democratic state.

It certainly is NOT a democratic state. Run by a brigade of former KGB apparatchiks with Putin in charge Russia has become a heaven for crooks and money launderers. Just very recently Russian officials have publicly admitted that over $30 bill in capital has left Russia last year alone to be laundered in foreign banks, - from UK, Switzerland, Austria, Cyprus all the way to the Carribbean islands and beyond.

Now the Russian Government daily Rossiiskaya Gazeta has released its 'money laundering and terrorist financing list' listing organisations and individuals known to be involved in such activities.

It is a fact the presidential elections in Russia will increase political heat. There is uncertainty, people today have different opinions whether Putin has a chance to win or does not. There is an interesting article written on this topic. If someone is interested, read here: http://en.kapital-rus.ru/article/278

He acknowledged that the nationalist problem does exist in Russia, but wants it to be "addressed properly" without defining how .

Blaming opponents for their failure “of proposing solution to these problems" Putin blamed Russian politicians for exploiting these difficulties for the sake of their “selfish political goals”. But Putin said nothing about his own failure to address these nationalistic issues during his terms as president and as prime minister.

While Putin warned that in a multi-ethnic Russia chauvinism "can be fatal and lead to the destruction of the country”, during his term in office Russian nationalist manifestations, including military parades, publications and the activities of "Nashi" and of 'Slavianski Soyuz', as well as numerous public statements of Russian parliamentary leaders were the order of the day.

Putin’s remarks seem to be aimed at the ultra-nationalist Vladimir Zhirinovsky, the leader of the LDPR party, who will be one of the challengers in the March elections. At the same time Putin is trying to secure support among many non-Russian minorities all the way from the Moslems in the Caucasus to Buriats, Yakutians, Tatars and others in the vast Asian territories.

Boris Akunin, a well known Russian writer, commenting on the opposition's demonstrations and on Putin's "second coming", wrote in his blog the following ( translation in part):

... "Between the two giant rallies, the tenth and twenty-fourth day of December, Putin was still a chance to talk with the protesters, but the "national leader" (as they like to call the premiere of his supporters) made another mistake, a fatal: publicly insulted the participants in the movement, accusing them of brainwashing and venality. After that, the main subject of the perturbation was no longer the ruling party, and Putin himself."

"It was during these two weeks, Putin has lost the country."

"He, of course, has not yet realized. He thinks it's just noise from Moscow and the rest of his country's continued support. Moreover, judging by everything, he truly believes that he will win the election."

"In the present circumstances this can happen only with a colossal fraud. There is no doubt that the enormous fraudulent device in charge of Russia in the vote count, does not stop before any fraud. But the victory will be Pyrrhic. Putin will lose the remnants of the actual rating, turned into all-Russian object of hatred and ridicule. This will be a very weak president, who is unlikely to last long."

"Perhaps this sounds paradoxical, but I would prefer that Putin's regime collapsed too quickly. Let's keep the opposition at least another year or two. If Putin leaves right now, not squandered the rest of his popularity, he might come back in a completely democratic way - when the crisis hits the living standards and people will resort to nostalgia for the "fat years". The "second coming" of this political figure will be a disaster for the country."

Putin has just published in the 'Nezavisimaya Gazeta' a very extensive essay outlining his position on a range of subjets from Russia's historic mission in the world to Russian cultural bonds, to his concept of 'self-determination' vs that of Lenin, to his view on migration in the Eurasian space, and so on and on....

Given your talents and background we will be waiting for your interpretation just what does Putin mean to do with these rather complex societal problems.

Since I read his views in translation only I am a bit disturbed by the possiblity of Putin preparing the ground to remain in power for at least 50 years in order to resolve all issues confronting Russia. I need your re-assurance that this will not be the case.

"Russia" is just a Potemkim village facade for "KGBland". If over 60% of State officials are ex KGB/FSB then all and any processes od "democracy" in "Russia" are evidently fraudulent. The country is an oligarchic autocracy, run for the benefit of a relativcely small elite, just as it has been through nearly all its history.

The latest news confirming that four Russian embassy staff members, including a 'defence attache' have been expelled from Canada over accusations of espionage in connection with a military intelligence serves as a reminder of the "old days".

Now apparently Putin had second thought about world-wide negative publicity related to his 'diplomats' spying against NATO using Canada's Halifax naval facilities as a base. Putin ordered his minister Lawrov to deny that his 'diplomats' have been expelled claiming that the four 'diplomats' have left Canada after completion of their scheduled tour of duty. Russian 'Echo' station resorted to claiming 'sensational' but 'unsubstantiated' reports, others claimed the case to be a 'non-event'. Clearly less than two months before presidential elections Putin does not want to become the focus of negative international attention.

As an ex KGB security guy Putins job and mindset is one of coercing compliance with rules. That's what he does. He doesn't do 'good governance'. He does 'my way or no way'. It would be great if Putin was astute enough to realise his weakness. That he needs expert help on how to build effective institutions for Russia's modernisation.

"Africa is on the rise, while Russia is on the decline. The democratic idealism that accompanied the fall of communism 20 years ago is gone, but the "imperial pride" recovered in part during the Putin years may not be enough to compensate for the contempt with which the Russian state treats its citizens.
Russia's demonstrators' message is simple: "Too much corruption, disdain and inequality is too much." Russia, like the Arab world, wants modernity."

Too much attention is being paid to these petty protests. They represent less than two percent of the country. Practically all the opposition which is played up in the West are in fact its agents. Michael Mcfaul flew into Moscow today as the new ambassador and on the same day all the opposition goes to see him. Its really halarious! What traitors! Enjoy:

Obviously, the U.S. Embassy said nothing about what was discussed with these gentlemen (or, to use your term, "traitors"). One should not exclude the possibility that at least some of these high ranking Russian officials were interested in exploring options for relocating their substantial personal assets into the US and other Western offshore banks in the event they should become 'personna non grata' following the March presidential elections in Russia.

Given the most recent example of Yuri Luzhkov and Madam Baturina who invested some of their millions into Irish hotels, others in London mansions, etc. and knowing how rapidly things can change in Russia, it is only natural for the Russian political elite to carefully explore future alternative residence locations.

Who knows, meeting the new US Ambassador may just pave the way for these Russian politicians who are tired of Moscow and don't like a prospect of life in Novosibirsk but would prefer, let's say, the environment of Las Vegas or the climate of Honolulu ?

Its absolutely normal for members of Obama's administration to meet with visiting Russian officials, especially, their first day on the job. This happens regularly.

But what those Russian opposition figures did was the equivalent of the Republican candidates, Romney, Santorum etc. visiting the Russian embassy on the day of arrival of the new ambassador. That would cause a firestorm in the U.S. Those candidates would immediately be labeled traitors and lose all support.
That's why these "opposition" candidates can only muster the support of no more than 1%-2% of the population. What's more, the new U.S. ambassador, Michael Mcfaul, literally wrote the book on how to conduct Orange Revolutions, and more specifically, revolutions in Russia

You wrote a lot on comrade Zyuganov and his program. Good program from communists. Once we went through it in 1917. Still suffer from aftereffects of it. Never trust a communist! For the past twenty years, Russia sticks to a tradition: either bad or worse.

Re Kornilov’s post. Again we went through all the bogeyman stories on traitors during soviet times. The “patriots” who never went to see Michael Mcfaul, have accounts and property in foreign lands. Who bothers!

Putin's left wing opponents are also doing their best to consolidate support around the communist leader Gennady Zyuganov who has now agreed to implement a series of opposition demands if he is elected Russia's president.

The demands, supported by protesters who are mostly educated urbanites, include freeing political prisoners, firing the Elections Commission chief Churov, calling new parliamentary elections and restoring direct elections for governors.

Under the agreement Zyuganov pledged to change the Constitution to transfer more power from the executive to the parliament, reduce the presidential term from six years and call an early presidential election next year. The agreement also provides for an end to media censorship, free and fair Duma elections by 2013, direct Federation Council elections by 2014 and a right to hold national referendums.

Zyuganov's new left-wing supporters Vadim Kuzmin, chairman of the pro-communist Public Council, and 'Left Front' leader Sergei Udaltsov have never appeared at the protest rallies nor have they previously offered support for popular opposition demands

Zyuganov is considered by many as the most likely candidate to force Putin into a runoff election round even though his public support remains way behind the 33% level generally attributed to Putin.